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AlbaLisa Mexican Food nominated for Ontario Made award

December 16, 2021   ·   0 Comments

With an economy struggling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly important for people to show support for Canadian- and Ontario-made products to help drive our economy and keep money in a local setting.

AlbaLisa All Natural Mexican Food in Alliston has been nominated in the Consumer Awareness Award category of the inaugural Ontario Made Awards.

Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters is sponsoring the awards for businesses that promote and sell Ontario-made Products.

The awards go to Ontario manufacturers and retailers that help consumers make informed decisions in increasing the sale and awareness of Ontario-made products.

Award categories include Manufacturer Spotlight, Merchandising Excellence, and Consumer Awareness.

AlbaLisa All Natural Mexican Food is an Alliston-based manufacturer of authentic Mexican tortilla chips and tortilla shells. They produce their product at a store front on Victoria Street.

Their product is sold at 200 locations across the province. 

The company is a partnership between Alba Lisa and Ted Quinn, who met in Mexico. Alba Lisa is originally from Mexico.

“We came back here and couldn’t find any good tortillas,” Ted explained. “We started making them by hand. We joined the Toronto Kitchen Incubator – in incubator for food businesses. We started out in a small shared kitchen, but we had to move because we started growing.”

After buying a house in Alliston, they made the move north and started looking for a permanent place to start producing their product.

“We make a line of fresh tortillas and tortilla chips,” Ted explained. “We sell to about 200 stores. Mexican food is becoming more acceptable and more high-end in the province.”

They also produce several sauces that can be used with the tortillas and chips. 

Tortillas are made from corn flour – a centuries old process in which corn is treated and the husk removed leaving only the flour.

AlbaLisa is a proud Ontario manufacturer that has seven employees that work in the production unit.

They are continually expanding as their product becomes more popular across the province.

Buying Ontario-made products helps keep money local and that money ends up going back into the local community.

Consumers can take part in the award process by voting for their favourite manufacturer or retailer.

From December 1, to January 7, 2022, you can cast a vote for your favourite.

Every time an individual submits a vote, they are entered to win one of five $100 gift cards to a registered Ontario Made manufacturer of their choice.

Award winners will be announced at Ontario Made’s Virtual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

You can vote on-line by visiting www.ontariomade.awardsplatform.com.

By Brian Lockhart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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